The Ottawa Redblacks have added American quarterback Sam Vidlak to their exclusive negotiation list.
The six-foot-one, 207-pound passer is currently a redshirt senior at Stephen F. Austin State University, an FCS program located in Nacogdoches, Texas. He has completed 67.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,447 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions over 12 games this year, leading the team to an 11-2 record.
The native of Applegate, Ore. transferred to the program in 2024 when he completed 69.5 percent of his pass attempts for 1,918 yards, 21 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which was previously won by players including Cooper Kupp, Jimmy Garoppolo, Bo Levi Mitchell, and Tony Romo.
Vidlak started his collegiate career in 2021 when he redshirted at Oregon State. In 2022, he dressed for three games as a freshman at Boise State before transferring to Montana, where he threw for 566 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions in 2023.
CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.
Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.
The Ottawa Redblacks finished fourth in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Dru Brown went 2-7 over nine starts at quarterback, throwing for 2,389 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Dustin Crum went 2-4 over six starts, throwing for 1,771 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The Redblacks ranked sixth in net offence, fifth in net defence, and ninth with a turnover differential of minus-16. The club’s leading rusher was William Stanback with 698 yards, leading receiver was Justin Hardy with 1,019 yards, and leading tackler was Adarius Pickett with 84 tackles. Ottawa finished eighth in attendance with average crowds of 18,136, which was a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year.
